Quilting machine operating mechanism for feed rollers



Aug. 2, 1966 J. HINKO 3,263,633

QUILTING MACHINE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR FEED ROLLERS Filed March L1, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 3 w waw lax W A imp/ms Aug. 2, 1966 J. HINKO 3,263,633

QUILTING MACHINE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR FEED ROLLERS INVENTOR. JUSEP/l HIM/f0 BYMMZM ATTORNEXS'.

Aug. 2, 1966 J. HINKO 3,263,533

QUILTING MACHINE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR FEED ROLLERS Filed March 11, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 /fi V// /////A /g INVENTOR m2 JUSE'PI/ Ill/W0 FIG.9 BYMMM United States Patent 3,263,633 QUILTING MACHINE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR FEED ROLLERS Joseph Hinko, Glen Oaks, N .Y., assignor to Kaybe Manufacturing Company, Brooklyn, N.Y., a partnership Filed Mar. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 264,311 12 Claims. (Cl. 112--118) This invention relates to quilting machines and, more particularly, to a mechanism for operating the material feed rollers of the machine.

Present quilting machines include provision for controlling the longitudinal movement .of the fabric through the machine in coordinated relation with the up-and-down movement of the sewing needles to provide at least a pair of layers of superimposed fabric which are sewn together along lines of stitching which follow a predetermined pattern that may consist of straight portions as well as curved portions. The feed rollers control mechanism is operative to control the movement of the fabric in such a manner that the distances between successive stitches are equal even though the lines of stitching follow a pattern of curved and straight portions.

While the present feed control mechanisms are reasonably satisfactory in providing a variety of patterns of stitching having a constant distance between successive stitches, they do so only at the expenditure of considerable time and effort in changing the parts of the mechanism for different patterns, so costs have been relatively high in providing quilted fabric with a great variety of patterns.

The primary object of the present invention is to pro vide an improved material feed rollers operating mechanism fora quilting machine.

Another object is to provide a mechanism of the indicated type which includes provision for easy conversion of the mechanism for operating the feed rollers continu ously or intermittently, in accordance with a predetermined quilting pattern.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description of the invention considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are illustrations of quilting patterns of stitching;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a mechanism in accordance with the present invention and shows other parts of the quilting machine more-.or-less diagrammatically;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 5'-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 9 is a top plan view, similar to FIG. 3, and showing a modified form of the mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and first to FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the figures illustrates a line of stitching 10 and 10' according to a predetermined quilting pattern and it will be noted that stitching 10 follows anarcuate path while stitching 10 follows a path consisting of straight lines which are at right angles with respect to other straight lines. The individual stitches are indicated at 12 and the material is moved longitudinally.

3,263,633 Patented August 2, I966 \2 as is well known, by controlling the longitudinal movement of the fabric between successive stitches. More specifically, and as illustrated by FIG. 1, the longitudinal movement of the fabric between successive stitches varies as is readily apparent by the changing longitudinal distances d between successive stitches while, as illustrated by FIG. 2, distance d is either 0 or a constant value. The mechanism of the present invention is especially well adapted to provide such different quilting patterns as illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 2, expeditiously and with corresponding economy.

Referring now .to the other figures of the drawings, the quilting machine 16 comprises a horizontal bed 18 which supports the various parts of the machine. In one cornet of the bed of the machine, a housing 2%) is mounted which contains the main drive of the machine and from which extends drive shafts 22 and 24. Drive shaft 22 is operative to drive the sewing needles 26 (FIG. 4) of the machine and it will be understood that the needles are mounted in a suitable frame (not shown) for up and down movement in relation to the quilting fabric (not shown) which is moved longitudinally past said needles by the rotation of a pair of material feed rollers 28 and 30. The mechanism whereby shaft 22 operates the needles may be similar .to the mechanism shown in US. Patent to Boettcher 1,948,876 whereby shaft 67 raises the needles through eccentric mechanism 136, 137 and parts 135, 134. The material is positioned between the rollers, as is well understood, and the rollers are suitably supported on a carriage 32 (FIG. 4) which is moved back and forth, transversely of the longitudinally moving material, to provide the lateral portions of the sewing pattern, as is well known. The carriage is mounted for sliding back-and-forth transverse movement in guideways 34 provided in the bed of the quilting machine and the transverse movement is controlled by a rotary cam 36 (FIGS. 3, 6 and 9) which operates a follower 38 that is bolted to a bar 40 which is secured to the carriage 32. Cam 36 is mounted on a shaft which is rotated intermittently in the same way that shaft 56 in applicants copending application Serial No. 197,385 filed May 24, 1962, is rotated through worm 47 which has an idle part and a helical part on each turn of the worm. Such an intermittent drive is also shown in said latent 1,948,876 at 67, 68, 69., 70. A tension spring 42 is connected between frame member 44 fixed to the bed 13 of the machine, and bar 46 and biases follower 38 into engagement with the edge of cam 36.. A more detailed description of the carriage and the feed rollers is considered unnecessary since those parts of the quilting machine are well known. Cam 36 determines the extent of reciprocation of the feed rollers longitudinally of said rollers.

The mechanism for operating the feed rollers will now be described in detail. A rotary circular disk 46 (FIGS. 3, 6, 7 and 9), is eccentrically secured to shaft 22 and operates an arm 48 which carries a roller 50, at one of its ends, that rides on the peripheral edge of disk 46. The opposite end of arm 48 is secured to a shaft 52 which is journalled in bearings 54 and 56 (FIG. 6) that are suitably mounted on the top of housing 20. An arm 58 issuitably secured, at its lower end, to shaft 52, and adjacent its upper end, said arm is pivotally connected to one end of a link 60. The opposite end of the link 69 is pivotally connected as at 61, to the lower part of an arm 62 which is suspended, for swinging movement, at its upper end on a rotary shaft 64. Shaft 64 is journaled in bearings provided in frame members 66 and 68 (FIG. 3).

Link 60 carries a cam follower 70 whose movement is controlled by a rotary quilting pattern cam 72 that is mounted on the hub 73 of cam 36. Cam 36 is secured to a rotary drive shaft 74 that is operated intermittently as explained above and extends from housing 20 and cams 36 and 72 are operated in unison. Cam 72 has its face provided with a series of depressions 76 and ridges 78 which provides the cam surface for controlling the rotation of the material feed rollers between successive stitches to provide equal spacing between said stitches.

A lug 80 extends upwardly from link 60 and a tension spring 82 is positioned at each side of the lug. One end of each spring is secured to the lug and the opposite end of each spring is secured to a rigid vertical member 84 that extends up from the top of housing 20. It is to be observed that the tension springs bias follower 70 toward and into engagement with the cam surface of cam 72 and follower 50 toward and into engagement with eccentric 46, to control the return movement of link 60 as will be more clearly understood hereinafter.

Follower 70 is preferably secured to link 60 in a manner which permits adjustment of its position relative thereto and to cam 72. More particularly, link 60 is provided with a slot 86 and a member 88 is secured to the link for adjustment longitudinally of the slot. Follower 70 is pivotally connected, as at 90, to the lower end of member 88 and is secured in adjusted position by a set-screw 92.

The lower end of arm 62 carries a pawl 94 which is pivotally mounted, at its lower end, to arm 62. The upper end of the pawl is connected to one end of a tension spring 96 and the opposite end of the tension spring is connected to the upper part of arm 62. Pawl 94 drives a ratchet wheel 98 which is suitably secured to shaft 64 for operating the latter. Another pawl 100 is provided to prevent return movement of the ratchet wheel. Pawl 100 is pivotally connected at its lower end to a rigid member 102 which extends upwardly from the bed of the machine, and the upper end of the pawl is connected to one end of a tension spring 103 which biases the pawl into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. The opposite end of the spring is connected to the top of arm 62.

A gear 104 (FIGS. 3 and is secured to shaft 64 and is in mesh with a gear 106 that is carried on an arm 108 which is provided with an arcuate slot 110 for adjustable securing of the arm to frame member 66. Gear 106 is in mesh with a gear 112 that is secured to a rotary shaft 114 which is suitably journaled in frame members 66 and 44. Another gear 116 (FIGS. 3 and 4) is secured to shaft 114 and is in mesh with a gear 118 that is mounted on rotary shaft 120 on which is also mounted feed roller 30. Gear 118 is in mesh with a gear 122 that is mounted on rotary shaft 124 on which is also mounted feed roller 28.

The operation of the mechanism will now be described in detail. Rotation of disk or eccentric 46 as the point of contact of the disk with the follower 50 is on the rise, causes link 60 to move toward the left, as viewed in FIG. 7, causing pawl 94 to move up and rotate ratchet wheel 98 clockwise to rotate shaft 64 and the feed rollers Via gears 104, 106, 112 and 116. Continued rotation of the eccentric 46, as the point of contact of said eccentric with said follower moves closer to the axis of shaft 22, back to its initial starting point causes link 60, under the force of springs 82, to move toward the right, as viewed in FIG. 7, for return to its original position. However, its return movement is controlled by cam 72 due to the engagement of follower 70 with the cam. Thus the return movement of arm 48 and follower 50 may be cut short by engagement of member 70 with cam 72 so that the follower remains spaced from the disk 46 until the high part of the disk again contacts the follower. It is to be observed that the return movement of the link 60 moves pawl 94 down to position the latter for operation of the ratchet wheel upon a repeat of the operating cycle, and the pawl moves down varying amounts to move past different numbers of teeth of the ratchet wheel as de- 4 termined by cam 72. The up movement of pawl 94 is always to the same up point. In this manner the feed rollers are rotated different amounts as required by the quilting pattern.

It is to be understood that the size of the ratchet teeth and the sizes of the ridges and depressions of cam 72 must be in correlated relation with each other so that back movement of link 60, under the control of the cam, results in the proper number of teeth of the ratchet wheel being traversed by the moving pawl 94. A considerable amount of variation in the quilting pattern can be easily effected by changing the sizes of change gears 104, 106 and 112 without any changes to the ratchet wheel or cam, and in this regard it is to be noted that the gear connection to the feed rollers is provided between the ratchet wheel and the feed rollers. If the ratchet wheel were provided on shaft 114 then variations in the quilting pattern could only be effected by changing the ratchet wheel and the pattern cam, which obviously is a time consuming and therefore expensive undertaking. Moreover, to effect small longitudinal movements of the feed rollers in order to obtain small spacing between successive stitching, as may be required, for example, in a fine quilting pattern, it is only necessary to provide suitable reduction gearing for connecting shafts 64 and 114. If the ratchet wheel were mounted on shaft 114, it would be necessary to provide one having finely spaced teeth which is expensive. Also, small teeth are weak and break often, thereby causing additional expense. The foregoing is obviated by the present invention.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, means is provided on shaft 64 to prevent its rotation due to the tension of the fabric between the feed rollers, which would normally rotate the shaft during initial movement of arm 60. For this purpose, shaft 64 is provided with a hub 126 (FIG. 8) over which a brake band 128 extends in frictional engagement therewith to provide the necessary restraining force to prevent rotation of shaft 64 under the tension of the material which is being sewn. The opposite ends of the band are secured to bars 130 which are connected to arms 132 that are suitably secured to parts 133 of frame member 66.

In accordance with still another feature of the invention, means is provided as best illustrated by FIG. 9, to convert the mechanism from ratchet control of the feed rollers to gear control. More specifically, the end of shaft 64 is provided with a bevel gear 134 and shaft 24 can be provided with a bevel gear 136 which can be moved into mesh with gear 134 to drive shaft 64 directly. Eccentric 46 is just slid sideways on shaft 22 so that it disengages arm 48 to disconnect the ratchet control drive for shaft 64.

While I have shown and described preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described and that certain changes in the form or arrangement of parts may be made according to the principle or ideas of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Also, while the material feed rollers have been shown as movable transversely, back-and-forth, with respect to its operating mechanism, it will be obvious that the operating mechanism may be mounted on carriage 32 and thereby movable in unison back-and-forth with the feed rollers, so that there is no relative transverse movement between the feed rollers and their operating mechanism. In the latter construction, the shaft 114 would be directly connected to shaft '120 of material feed roller 30.

Iclaim:

1. In a quilting machine having a pair of material feed rollers for moving material longitudinally past needles for the sewing operation, means for operating said feed rollers for rotating the latter different amounts according to a predetermined pattern, said feed rollers centric disc mounted on said drive shaft and rotatable therewith, a follower arm operatively adapted to be en'- gaged with said eccentric and operated by the latter, means operatively connected to said follower arm and movable back and forth by the latter during each rotation of said drive shaft, a rotary cam in the path of movement of said last means, to control its movement according to said predetermined pattern, and rotary means controlled by said last means for rotating said feed rollers.

2. In a quilting machine having a :pair of material feed rollers for moving material longitudinally past needles for the sewing operation, means for operating said feed rollers for rotating the latter different amounts according to a predetermined pattern, said feed rollers operating means comprising a rotary drive shaft, an eccentric mounted on said drive shaft and rotatable therewith, a follower arm positioned to be operatively engaged with said eccentric and operated by the latter, a link operatively connected to said follower arm and movable back and forth by the latter during each rotation of said drive shaft, a rotary cam having a cam surface, means on said link to contact said cam surface to control movement of said link, another rotary shaft, a ratchet wheel mounted on said other shaft for rotating the latter, a pawl operatively connected to said link and movable by the latter for rotating said ratchet wheel and thereby said other shaft different amounts corresponding to said cam, a gear mounted on said other shaft, and gear means for meshing with said gear and for operative connection to said feed rollersfor operating the latter,

3. In a quilting machine having a pair of material feed rollers for moving material longitudinally past needles for the sewing operation, means for operating said feed rollers for rotating the latter different amounts according to a predetermined pattern, said feed rollers operating means comprising, a rotary drive shaft, an eccentric mounted on said drive shaft and rotatable therewith, a follower arm positioned to be operatively engaged with said eccentric and operated by the latter, a member connected to said follower arm and movable back and forth by the latter during each rotation of said drive shaft, a rotary cam having a cam surface and po sitioned in the path of movement of said member to control its return movement, another rotary shaft, a ratchet wheel mounted on said other shaft for rotating the latter, a pawl operatively connected to said member and movable by the latter for rotating said ratchet wheel and thereby said other shaft different amounts corresponding to said cam, a gear mounted on said other sha'ft, a brake band operatively connected to said other shaft for restraining rotation thereof, and gear means for meshing with said gear and for operative connection to said [feed rollers for operating the latter.

4. In a quilting machine having a pair of material feed rollers for moving material longitudinally past needles for the sewing operation, means for operating said feed rollers for rotating the latter different amounts according to a predetermined pattern, said feed rollers operat ing means comprising a rotary drive shaft, an eccentric mounted on said drive shaft and rotatable therewith, a follower arm adapted to be operatively engaged with said eccentric and operated by the latter, a member operatively connected to said follower arm and movable back and forth by the latter during each rotation of said drive shaft, a rotary cam having a cam surface positioned in the path of movement of said member to control its return movement, another rotary shaft, a ratchet wheel mounted on said other shaft for rotating the latter, a pawl operatively connected to said member and movable by the latter for rotating said ratchet wheel and thereby said other shaft different amounts corresponding to said cam, a gear mounted on said other shaft, gear means for meshing with said gear and for operative connection to said feed rollers for operating the latter, and other gear means for interconnecting said other shaft 6 and said drive shaft for operation of said other shaft directly by said drive shaft.

5. In aquilting machine having a pair of material feed rollers for moving material longitudinally past needles for the sewing operation, means for operating said feed rollers for rotating the latter different amounts according to a predetermined pattern, said [feed rollers operating means comprising a rotary drive shaft, an eccentric mounted on said drive shaft and rotatable therewith, a follower arm adapted to be operatively engaged with said eccentric and operated by the latter, a member operatively connected to said follower arm and movable back and forth by the latter during each rotation of said drive shaft, a rotary cam having a cam surface positioned in the path of return movement of said member to control its return movement according to said predetermined pattern, another rotary shaft, a ratchet wheel mounted on said other shaft for rotating the latter, a pawl operatively connected to said member and movable by the latter for rotating said ratchet wheel and thereby said other shaft different amounts corresponding to said cam, a gear mounted on said other shaft, a brake band operatively connected to said other shaft for restraining rotation thereof, gear means for meshing with said gear and for operative connection to said feed rollers for operating the latter, and other gear means for interconnecting said other shalft and said drive shaft for operation of said other shaft directly by said drive shaft.

6. In a quilting machine, a pair of rollers to feed sheet material therebetiween, a drive shaft, an eccentric disk on said shaft, follower means for said eccentric disk, a second shaft, means controlled by said follower to advance said second shatft through an angle for each rotation of said drive shaft, a cam, means controlled by the drive shaft to rotate said cam, means controlled by the cam to control the extent of movements of said follower and hence the extent of angular movements of said second shaft, and change gears driven by said second shaft, to rotate said feed rollers and means controlled by said drive shaft, to reciprocate said feed rollers longitudinally.

7. The combination of claim 6, said means to reciprocate said feed rollers including a second cam fixed to rotate with the first mentioned cam. and means controlled by said second cam to determine the extent of reciprocation of said feed rollers.

8. In combination, a pair of feed rollers to feed sheet material therebetween, a drive shaft, an eccentric disk on said drive shaft, a first arm mounted for rotation on a fixed axis, a follower on said arm adapted to contact the periphery of said disk, a second arm fixed to rotate with said first arm, a link pivoted to said second arm, a ratchet wheel mounted for rotation about its axis, a third arm mounted for swinging movement on the axis of said ratchet wheel, said link being pivotally connected to said third arm, spring means to bias said follower toward the periphery of said eccentric disk, a cam, means controlled by said drive shaft to mount said cam for rotation, means on said link biased toward said cam by said spring means, and a pawl on said third arm engageable with the teeth of said ratchet wheel to turn said ratchet wheel, change gear means controlled by said ratchet wheel to rot-ate said rollers to feed sheet material therebetween, and cam means controlled by rotation of the drive shaft, to reciprocate said feed rollers longitudinally.

9. The combination of claim 8, and friction means to restrain rotation of said ratchet wheel.

10. The combination of claim 8, said means controlled by rotation of said ratchet wheel, comprising said change gears, means to rotate said change gears upon rotating said ratchet wheel, gears on said feed rollers meshing with each other, and said change gears including a gear meshing with a gear on one of said rollers.

7 8 11. The combination of claim 10, said gear meshing controlled by said drive shaft to reciprocate said feed with the gear on one of said rollers, and the gear it rollers longitudinally.

meshes with, also having a sliding connection.

12. In a quilting machine, a pair of feed rollers, 21 References Cited by the Examiner drive shaft, a rotary ratchet Wheel, means actuated by 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS said drive shaft and including a cam, to rotate said 234,587 11/1880 K h et a1 112- 118 ratchet wheel from zero to a maximum angle for each 456,738 7/1891 Schultz 112-118 revolution of said drive shaft, change gears, means controlled by said ratchet wheel to drive said gears, means JORDAN FRANKLIN Prlmary Examme controlled by said gears to rotate said rollers, and means 10 G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A QUILTING MACHINE HAVING A PAIR OF MATERIAL FEED ROLLERS FOR MOVING MATERIAL LONGITUDINALLY PAST NEEDLES FOR THE SEWING OPERATION, MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID FEED ROLLERS FOR ROTATING THE LATTER DIFFERENT AMOUNTS ACCORDING TO A PREDETERMINED PATTERNS, SAID FEED ROLLERS OPERATING MEANS COMPRISING A ROTARY DRIVE SHAFT, AN ECCENTRIC DISC MOUNTED ON SAID DRIVE SHAFT AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH, A FOLLOWER ARM OPERATIVELY ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED WITH SAID ECCENTRIC AND OPERATED BY THE LATTER, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID FOLLOWER ARM AND MOVABLE BACK AND FORTH BY THE LATTER DURING EACH ROTATION OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT, A ROTARY CAM IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID LAST MEANS, TO CONTROL ITS MOVEMENT ACCORDING TO SAID PREDETERMINED PATTERN, AND ROTARY MEANS CONTROLLED BY SAID MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID FEED ROLLERS. 